According to TMZ, “Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We’re told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board. Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa, and their four daughters — Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and their newborn Capri. Kobe and Vanessa got married in 2001 after meeting in 1999.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Twitter account tweeted the flames were extinguished and the investigation is ongoing. View the tweet below:
Five people confirmed deceased, no survivors in #Calabasas helicopter crash. #LASD #Malibu deputies remain with #LA County Fire personnel. Investigation ongoing.
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) January 26, 2020
Avoid the area until further notice.
Kobe Bryant is a retired shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for his entire 20-year career. According to his Wikipedia page, “Bryant was awarded the regular season’s Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the 2007–08 season and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference.
In the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team, occasionally referred to as ‘The Redeem Team.’ He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. He has had 1 eighty-point game, 6 sixty-point games (including his final game), 26 fifty-point games, and 134 forty-point games in his career.”
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